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Animal Control

The City of Fernley's license requrement is described in Title 7, Chapter 1 of the Fernley Municipal Code. In general, all dogs in the City over six months old need to be licensed. All dogs must be vaccinated for rabies.

No. If you have a domestic cat or kitten that you can no longer care for or do not want, the Nevada Humane Society is the only local cat assisting agency at this time. Fernley Animal Control does not pick up cats but we can provide you with a live trap to capture a feral cat in your yard so you can take it to the Nevada Humane Society or other rescue group.

Feral cats are simply abandoned offspring of domestic cats and are primarily the result of people failing to spay or neuter their cats, or people abandoning their cats. These cats survive as best they can - near restaurants, shopping areas, ranches, and other rural areas. Feral cats often live in loose groups or colonies and usually go out of their way to avoid human contact.

Feral cats are almost impossible to socialize. Like other wild animals, they should not be handled without following instructions from feral cat rescue groups or shelters.

If there is a serious incident, call 911 or seek medical attention as soon as possible.

Animal bites are investigated by Fernley Animal Control. If you have an animal bite to report, please call us at 775.784.9801 during business hours, Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.

If you need assistance after business hours, please contact the Lyon County Sheriff's Office at 775.575.5530.

If you are bitten by an animal or have knowledge of anyone being bitten by any animal, state law requires that the incident be reported due to the possibility of exposure to rabies. It is important to obtain as much information as possible about the animal such as description, location, owner information, vaccination history, etc.

Fernely Animal Control will remove dead animals from city roads and rights of way free of charge. Call 775.784.9801 to report dead animals.

Dead animals on state roads and rights of way, include State Route 95A, State Route 50A, Interstate 80, and State Route 828 (Farm District Road) should be reported to the Nevada Department of Transportation at 775.688.1547.

If you have found a dog or cat, please call Fernley Animal Control at 775.784.9801. We will take a found animal report so that, if the owner calls to report a lost animal, we can put them in touch with you.

We can make arrangements to pick up a stray dog and take it to our designated shelter, Lyon County Animal Services in Silver Springs. We cannot pick up lost cats but we will try to maintain lists of both lost and found cats to possibly reunite the cat with its owner.

General Home Page

Few things are more important to our community than ensuring that our drinking water is clean, safe, and reliable. In addition to meeting the requirements of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Safe Drinking Water Act, the construction and completion of Fernley’s groundwater treatment plant is the most important issue facing our community. Treating our water with care is an important community investment. This investment pays off in dividends to our health, well-being, and the quality of life we enjoy here in our high desert home.

On January 22, 2001, the EPA set a new maximum standard for arsenic in drinking water. This new standard dropped the maximum level from 50 parts per billion to 10 parts per billion. This regulation required that all public drinking water systems comply with the new standard by January 23, 2006. The City and the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection have agreed that the City will deliver compliant water from the water treatment plant by July 23, 2009, and the final completion by December 23, 2009.

No. The City’s primary concern is the health and safety of its residents, and as a result the City has and will continue to have, best management practices to mitigate all potential for arsenic to migrate beyond the water treatment plant.

No. Due to time limited circumstances associated with obtaining the groundwater discharge permit for the solids drying basins, the City Council approved the staff’s recommendation for the redesign of the water treatment plant's solid handling facilities from the solid drying basins to a closed loop tank storage system. This system will alleviate any possibility for groundwater contamination.

No. The City investigated, through the means of a test well, whether or not it was economically feasible to provide a production well at the water treatment plant. The City Engineer determined that a test well was not feasible. The City currently operates and maintains six main production wells located throughout the City.

No. Personnel vehicles will be on site during plant operation, but there will not be a large amount of equipment storage as the public works shop houses all major equipment. Any personnel vehicles that are on-site will be screened as much as possible either by a masonry wall or landscaping.

Yes. Section 28.040 of the City of Fernley development code, states that a water tank, water treatment facility, or sewer lift station is acceptable within a rural residential two acre zoning district, with a design review.

Section 28.070.090 of the City of Fernley development code, states that a water facility is defined as, a water facility for purifying, supplying, and holding water, or a sewer lift station facility, each including appurtenant wells, pumps, and control buildings.

No. The chemicals used for the water treatment plant are not listed within the Bureau of Air Pollution Control;s (BAPC) Chemical Accident Prevention Program (CAPP) because they are not highly hazardous. As a result, BAPC does not require the City to prepare and execute a CAPP for these chemicals. The four types of chemicals to be used on site are the following:

No. The City Public Works and Community Development departments has been working together to ensure that all outside lighting conforms to the full cut-off criteria set forth in Section 40.040 of the City of Fernley development code. This code states that, all light fixtures shall be installed or be designed to project light downward and away from adjoining properties. As a result, no site lighting is allowed to penetrate onto adjacent properties. If additional property light shielding is necessary, the City will install it.

No. The minimum right of way width for non-residential use is 60 feet. Mesa Drive consists of both 50 feet and 60 feet right of ways. The City is aware of the requirements set forth by the development code, and is currently working to comply with this requirement.

In approving the civil improvement plans, Community Development Director Robert “Terry” Gilbert, set a condition on the City that the right of way has to be in compliance with the development code prior to certification of occupancy.

The federal government has funding earmarked to help small businesses, but these funds are distributed in the form of grants and / or partnership agreements to governments and nonprofits that in turn help small business.

The State of Nevada uses its federal grants to assist businesses directly through its many small business development programs, and also funds nonprofit organizations that provide technical support to small businesses in Fernley.

If you are a start-up business, your best option is to visit with the folks at the University of Nevada Reno Small Business Development Center, or the US Small Business Administration. They provide business planning and loan assistance.

Additionally, the Small Business Development Center provides seminars, workshops, and training for entrepreneurs. These seminars look at all aspects of starting up a business, including financing.

Generally yes, with the exception of student financial aid and individual homeownership grants. Nonprofit groups may apply for grants from state, federal, and foundation funding applicable to the organization’s mission and scope of work.

Local governments do not write grants for individuals. Several companies and consultants provide grant writing services. There are various sites on the Internet, which give information on the parts of a grant, and how to develop an application. First start with the resources for grant seekers webpage.

These formats generally fit a non-solicited grant application, while solicited applications will provide the format they prefer for the grant. Much of the information on these sites will apply to the different sections of the solicited application.

Grant writing classes are also available from the University of Nevada Reno.

Deadlines vary for each grant, but many grants are available around the same time each year. Check the grant you are interested in for details. Please visit the funding links webpage, for grants available.

Each grant has its own application process. Go to the grant category, which applies to your organization and download the application. There are numerous sites on the Internet, which announce grant application deadlines and additional information.

Each site is specific to the funder, whether it be federal, state, or private foundation funding. Become familiar with which funders would support your area, and then research those sites. Internet search engines are very helpful in narrowing down the field of potential funders.

Additional information on available grants in usually provided in professional journals or magazines, or in by subscription periodicals.

Usually most traffic misdemeanors can be paid prior to your court date. If you decide to pay the ticket, you will not be required to appear before the judge.

If you received a citation for driving under the influence, domestic battery, driving with a suspended driver's license, or if mandatory court appears on the citation, you are required to make an appearance before the judge.

A defendant can request an extension of his / her first appearance by contacting the court clerk by calling 775.784.9870. This extension must be requested before 5:00 pm on the day prior to the original date of appearance. The court clerk can only schedule your next appearance date out two weeks unless approved by the judge.

No. We are a court of record; all proceedings are recorded and must take place in the court room. You may however contact the City Attorney's Office with questions about your case by calling 775.784.9860.

An arraignment is to make sure, first of all, that you understand any charges which have been brought against you; also that you understand any fines, penalties, or procedures that may incur from this point forward.

As described in Nevada Revised Statute (NRS): Chapter 485.187, the penalty for driving with no insurance is a fine of not less than $600 or no more than $1,000 for each violation. The fine must be reduced to $100 plus administration fees for the first violation if the person obtains a motor vehicle liability policy by the time of sentencing unless:

The person has registered the vehicle as part of a fleet of vehicles pursuant to subsection five or NRS: Chapter 482.215.

The person has been issued a certificate of self-insurance pursuant to NRS: Chapter 485.380.

If the defendant provides proof to the court that the vehicle they were operating was insured at the time the citation was issued this charge will be dismissed.

No. The Fernley Municipal Court does not issue marriage licenses; however, the municipal court judge does perform marriage ceremonies.

A license must be obtained from a County seat such as Lyon County, 775.577.5033, or Washoe County, 775.328.3275, etc. Once the license is obtained, the marriage ceremony may be held anywhere in the State of Nevada.

If you receive a ticket / citation and it does not state court mandatory, you may pay your ticket before the court date.

Fines are accepted at the front counter Monday through Friday, and can be paid with cash, check, and / or debit / credit card. Debit / credit card payments are also accepted over the phone, please contact one of our court clerks by calling 775.784.9870. We accept Visa and MasterCard.

Arraignments are held on Tuesdays at 9:00 am. Pre-trials, trials, reviews, and sentencing are held on Thursdays at 9:30 am. Please arrive at least 30 minutes before court in order to check in with a court clerk. You must be checked in to have your case heard that day.

If you have questions, please contact a court clerk by calling 775.784.9870.

Parks & Recreation

To reserve a picnic area or park area for a small private gathering, simply call the City Parks Department at 775.784.9910, Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. The office is closed on holidays. You will need complete the Parks and Facilities Day Use Permit. Permits must be submitted in person in order to secure your reservation. Reservation Form...

A special event permit is necessary if you want to have a parade on main street, hold a block party and close a street, hold a fair, rodeo, or other public event in a City facility or park. View the special events webpage for more information.

No owner or tenant shall obstruct a drainage easement or channel within the tract. All drainage facilities within the drainage easement are to be maintained by the property owner. No fences or other obstructions shall be permitted within or across any drainage easement.

Crackfilling is one of the cheapest and most effective methods for keeping our roadways in good shape. The crackfilling work prevents moisture intrusion, and prepares a better base for the later application of the slurry treatment.

The city does not have an established sweeping schedule for our local roadways. We do respond to citizen requests for sweeping. We respond immediately for safety concerns reported by citizens, the Sheriffs Department, or City staff. No property taxes are utilized for the streets and storm drains fund.

Water / Sewer Billing

Yes. As long as you have an account number with us, you can view and pay your bill online at Xpress Bill Pay. If you have multiple accounts with us, you can set up the multiple accounts and pay them separately or all in one transaction.

If you want to stop receiving paper bills, or speak with a customer service representative for more information, please call 775.784.9930.

The deposit to start a typical water service is $75 and a typical sewer service is $80. There is also a $20 service fee to process applications for service. Therefore, $175 is generally required to start water / sewer service. Please contact a customer service representative at 775.784.9930 for more information.

Not at this time, but we are working on it. If you need to change your service or start a new service, please contact a customer service representative at 775.784.9930. Please have payment ready for initial deposits and fees. Over the phone we accept credit and debit cards, and electronic funds transfer from your checking or savings account.

There are several circumstances that might cause an unusually high bill. If you suspect you may have a leak, call our office and we will have one of our field personnel go out and see if the meter is moving while no water is being used in your house. If the meter is turning, this may indicate that you have a leak on your property somewhere, and you will probably want to find and fix it.

Also, during the summer, water usage is normally higher due to lawn and landscape watering. If there are more people in your house, water usage will generally increase. If you have recently made improvements, such as a swimming pool or lawn fountain, your water use will likely increase.

We will also check the prior readings and have field personnel inspect and calibrate the meter to make sure the meter is working properly. Please call a customer service representative at 775.784.9930 and we will determine the correct billing for your account.

The City is responsible for maintaining main lines. Anything from the meter box to the residence is the owner's responsibility. If you have questions about this, please call a customer service representative at 775.784.9930 and we can further explain our policies.

An E-One Unit is a low pressure sewer system. The key element of this system is an environment one grinder pump. The tank collects all solid materials and effluent from the home. The solid materials are then ground to a small size suitable for pumping as a slurry with the effluent water. The grinder pump generates sufficient pressure to pump this slurry from your home to the main sewer and ultimately to flow to the East Wastewater Treatment Plant.

If your home is equipped with an E-One Unit, in signing up for service, you authorize the City of Fernley to enter your property to repair or service the E-One Unit at your location. Please call a customer service representative at 775.784.9930 if you have further questions or need further information about E-One Units.

Water Service

The rotten egg odor is usually associated with waterlines and fixtures that have low usage such as when residents are gone form their homes and little or no water has been flushed through them for days or weeks at a time. Another cause can come from water standing in newly constructed water mains, in which case the City may have to come out and flush the lines.

Depending on where you live you may be in a low-pressure area, a high-pressure area, or somewhere in between. The differences in pressure can be due to the elevation of your house in relation to the water tank that serves your area. The lower the elevation your house is below the water tank the higher your pressure will be, therefore houses closest in elevation to the water tank will have the lowest pressure.

To make the best of the pressure that is available to your house make sure that your interior plumbing is working properly. A plumber can help you with this.

If your pressure is extremely low, less than 20 pounds per square inch, contact the Public Works Department at 775.784.9910, to see if anything can be done to increase the pressure.

If the leak is found to be on the street side of the meter box, the City will repair the leak and there is not cost to the homeowner. If the leak is found to be on the homeowner’s side of the meter box, the homeowner is responsible for both the repair of the water line and the water lost due to the leak.